The Blackmailer
by PGerv214
Summary: When Natsume and Mikan start dating, Ruka starts to feel replaced and depressed. Who will be the one to comfort him?


_***Insert epic theme music here!* Okay so I decided I needed to spice things up a bit. So enjoy this little story :) and Remember I don't own Gakuen Alice. Thank you and enjoy! Oh and read and review! Thank you!**_

**Ruka POV-**

Okay, so I know it's wrong to feel this way. I mean, I did encourage them to date, and I did give up on her, so I should be happy right? Well, I guess I'm just really selfish. But the thing is, seeing them together doesn't bother me, as much as being ignored does. Okay so I'm not really being ignored by them, but all they want to do is be alone together, so I guess I feel...replaced.

Usually I was the one who was always next to Natsume, now...I just don't know what to do, and it's kinda depressing. It's as if I don't know who I am anymore. I miss my best friend. I mean who wouldn't. Well..Imai doesn't seem to mind getting less attention from Mikan, but the thing is Mikan is just like she was before they started dating. She spends time with Imai a lot as well as Natsume. How can that girl do so much at once!

Well I can't say Natsume's any different...but before we use to skip Narumi's class and hang out, but now he stays in class in order to keep that crazy teacher's hands off his girl. And after school him and Mikan go to the sakura tree to be by themselves. I mean after school Imai goes to her lab and doesn't hang out with Mikan so she can work on her inventions so she pretty much sees Mikan just as much as she did before.

Maybe even more than before considering she uses her best friend's relationship with Natsume to gain money by taking pictures of them together. So for her it was fine. Along with the rest of our class. But when Natsume was trying to avoid Mikan to keep her away from the darkness, we spent a lot of time together...now..I don't know, it's like he doesn't have time anymore.

So is it really wrong to feel replaced? I mean, what was I suppose to do now? Run around playing pranks like Koko and Kitsuneme all day. Yeah right! What am I doing now you may ask? Well, I'm sitting on the roof of the dormitories with Usagi and a couple of my bird friends who are trying to console me.

I watched as my classmates ran around campus smiling and laughing. They were lucky, they were with their best friends, having fun. Okay so I'm being unfair, it's just now, I don't have a crush, nor do I have someone to hang out with. I looked over at the sakura tree and saw Natsume and Mikan there.

They were arguing, that much was clear, and then I saw her face flush red. Ten bucks he just commented on the underwear she's wearing today. I watched her hand curl into a fist and sighed. Three, two, one.

"NATSUME YOU PERVERT! STOP LOOKING AT MY PANTIES!" she screamed and turned around to storm off, only to have Natsume grab her wrist, spin her around, and push her back against the tree, trapping her. He said something, with a smirk on his face, causing her to blush, before kissing her quickly. I laughed as Mikan's eyes widened before slowly closing as if she was losing consciousness and wrapping her arms around his neck.

When he pulled away a small smile formed on her lips and she blushed brightly before she giggled. I saw her knee's buckle and then her eyes fluttered closed before fainting, forcing Natsume to catch her.

"That Baka always faints when he kisses her like that" I heard someone say next to me and I screamed, nearly falling off the roof as I turned to see Hotaru Imai, starring at me with a camera in her hand, and her famous Baka Gun next to her.

_Click_. I saw the flash and her small smirk before pocketing her camera and returning to her normal stoic expression. I then realized that she took a picture of my terrified facial features. That could only mean one thing.

"Nogi, you should know better then to scream like that, you'll attract unwanted attention. Haven't you learned anything since I've been here?" she said rather coldly causing me to glare at her. She was going to black mail me now...how could I not hear her show up next to me?

"Imai! What are you doing here?" I yelled and she laid down closing her beautiful violet eyes and stretching. Wait...did I just say beautiful? What in the world is going on here? The sun kissed her creamy skin lightly as she took deep relaxing breaths.

You know, it was weird, around every single girl I've talked to, I blushed like crazy, but with Hotaru it was so relaxed, so natural, it didn't make any sense.. Shouldn't I hate the girl? I mean everyday she tortured me by blackmailing me. Yet I still had a close relationship with her. Don't get me wrong, when I'm around her I blush, sometimes I blush ten shades of red, but that's only when she's really close to me, or we have a strange moment together.

"It's simple, I saw you up here looking all depressed and what not, I figured I might as well come here and see what you were so upset about. So spill it bunny boy" she said and I blushed slightly. Why did she care if I was upset or not. When I didn't respond, she sat up and opened her eyes, revealing those violet orbs I'm so very use to.

"You feel replaced" she said and I blushed brightly before turning away and looked down at the ground below us, finding it strangely interesting. _Click_. I looked up in horror to see her starring at me with her camera in hands, with a strange glint in her eyes.

"Ruka Nogi, one of the academy's most wanted heart throbs, feels replaced after his best friend, Natsume Hyuuga, _the_ academy heart throb, falls in love and starts dating Mikan Sakura. The animals will love this" she said emotionlessly and I blushed insanely.

"IMAI!" I screamed and lunged towards her. Bad mistake, because when I grabbed her shoulders, her eyes widened in surprise before we both went tumbling down off the edge of the roof and started hurling towards the ground. How did I forget we were on the roof?

My eyes widened in surprise, but I knew one thing, Hotaru couldn't get her, I didn't want her to get hurt. I grabbed her and turned our bodies so I was under her, by back facing the ground which was quickly getting closer. I grabbed her head and pulled it towards my chest, shielding her. Then, we landed.

To say it didn't hurt would be the lie of the century. Pain shot through my entire body when I smashed into the ground with a loud "Oof". When I finally was able to get over my shock and pain, I opened my eyes and looked down at Imai who was on top of me. That explained the pain on my stomach.

"Y-you O-kay?" I mumbled slightly embarrassed because of our position. She looked up, eyes wide with a mix of emotions I've never seen her feel before, like fear, confusion, and shock. Other then that her face was stoic. For the longest time she just starred at me, probably trying to figure out something before she finally muttered something.

"Why didn't that hurt?" she whispered and looked down, and noticed she was on top of me and I was the one who cushioned her fall. She frowned before sighing and grabbing her camera and pulling the film out.

"I really shouldn't be nice to you, considering it is your fault that we fell off the roof, but considering you cushioned my fall and prevented me from getting injured, here" she said and handed me the film before getting up and reaching into her pocket and grabbing an remote. She pushed the button and in seconds, her giraffe car pulled up next to us. She then bent over and lifted me up gently, obviously straining to do so, before placing me in the car.

"I'll bring you to the hospital" she said and with that she started driving towards the hospital. I didn't understand this one bit. Why was she being so nice to me? Why did I risk my life just to make sure she stayed safe?

"Why did you do that?" she asked, snapping me back from my thoughts. I blushed brightly as I looked at her back while she drove. My back was sore and my stomach felt a little nausea, I think she might have accidentally elbowed me in the stomach when we landed...ouch.

"I...I don't k-know. A lot of things were running through my head, one of them was that I didn't want you to get hurt. I...I can't explain it..." I stammered, finding a speck on dirt on my shoe extremely interesting.

"Stupid...you could've gotten killed. Don't do something so foolish" she muttered and turned around to glance at me, and I noticed an extremely faint blush on her stoic face. I blushed even more when I saw how cute she was when she blushed. "We're here" she said quickly.

She walked over and helped me get into the hospital, where the nurses quickly started tending to me. I heard the door close and noticed Imai had made her leave quickly, which somewhat disappointed me, yet I was glad I had time to think.

Why did I feel so weird when I hung out with Imai? I blushed, and felt squeamish, yet relaxed and like I finally found where I should be. She made me feel at ease, yet like I was alive. I never felt that way before. I was actual able to have a conversation with her, unlike with anyone besides Natsume. It was hard to explain...very hard to explain.

The doctors said I bruised my back badly. They told me I had a good number of cuts and gashes on my back that needed to be bandaged. Because of this they said I should stay over night to make sure the bones weren't bruised as well and the cuts and gashes weren't infected, before leaving me in the hospital room.

It wasn't long until the door opened again revealing Mikan smiling brightly with Natsume by her side looking rather annoyed and tired. Mikan had flowers that she placed on the night table next to me before smiling at me as she took Natsume's hand in hers.

"Hi Ruka-pyon! Hotaru told us you were in the hospital, she didn't tell us why though. What happened?" she asked, obviously concerned yet happy. I smiled at her and my best friend before sighing. Of course Imai wouldn't tell them that we both fell off the roof.

"Well me and Imai were arguing on the roof and ended up falling off the roof, I didn't want her to get hurt so I grabbed her and protected her by cushioning her fall. I didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did" I said and Mikan frowned before smiling.

"Thanks for protecting her Ruka-pyon! That was really nice, and I can tell Hotaru is very grateful. I think she is upset that you got hurt though, she seemed to be in a bad mood when she told us you were in here" she said and I blushed but smiled.

"It was nothing. Oh and can I talk to Natsume, alone..for a minute?" I asked and she blinked twice before smiling and nodding. She turned to leave but I smiled. "Oh and Sakura-san, you might want to work on that fainting thing" I said and she blushed brightly before rushing to leave.

"Natsume...something is wrong, whenever I'm with Imai, I feel really weird" I said and he raised an eyebrow, signaling for me to go on. I took a deep breath before continuing. "Well I get all fidgety, and I blush, yet I can talk to her better then I can talk to any girl and most people. I feel..I feel.." I continued trying to find the right words.

"You feel relaxed, like you finally belong" he finished and my eyes widened. How did he know exactly how I felt? "I feel that way with Polkadots...repeat this and I'll burn you until your black" he said and I nearly choked on air.

"Wait..if you feel that way with Mikan...then..are you saying..I'm in love with the ice queen?" I questioned and he looked rather bored, but smirked nonetheless. He opened the door, but before stepping out he turned his attention to me.

"You have horrible taste, Ruka" he said before walking over and closing the door behind him. I was still shocked. What if I was in love with Imai...would she kill me? Did she like me back? Wait a minute..I just confessed that I liked her...damn!

The door slowly slid open and in walked the Ice Queen herself..Hotaru Imai. My heart jumped when I saw her, and I felt like I might throw up. My cheeks extremely warm, signally I had a bright blush plastered on my face.

"H-h-hi Ho...taru" I stuttered and she looked up with a confused look on her face. I instantly started to panic. "A-are you okay?" I asked quickly and she nodded but narrowed her eyes at me slightly, making me feel very nervous now. Her stoic expression never faltered as she walked over so she was next to my bed.

"Since when do you call me by my first name?" she asked and I froze. She was right. I never used her first name, only her last. How will she react? Will she be angry? "Alright _Ruka_ I guess we're on a first name basis now" she said and I sighed in relief. "How's your back, Baka?" she asked and I smiled.

"Fine, I got pain relievers. It's just a really bad bruise and a couple of cuts, the only reason they're keeping me here is to make sure none of my bones got bruised or the cuts got infected when we fell" I said and she narrowed her eyes. I gulped..slightly shocked at her reaction. She seemed angry at that answer...was she hoping it was worse?

"Yes, _we_ fell, yet I got off without a scratch" she said coldly and I shrank back, slightly nervous. "Baka..." she muttered before turning around and leaving me alone in the small room. Okay what should I do. Without thinking I stood up...only slightly uncomfortable, and rushed after her. Not very rational, but it was the one thing I thought to do.

I found her walking on the path outside the hospital. She seemed completely emotionless and stoic like always, but I could tell she was angry. What to do, what to do. What could I possibly do to get her to listen without hitting me or calling me a baka? And with that, an idea popped in my head.

"I hope I don't regret this" I mumbled and blushed brightly before running up behind her. "Hotaru!" I called and she turned around, shock evident in her eyes along with a hint of anger. Her eyes then widened when I grabbed her shoulder and pressed my lips on her's in a gentle kiss. The kiss was quick, but when I pulled away, I lost all the nerve and self confidence I had.

"Y-yes, you didn't get a scratch on you. T-thank god" I stuttered, avoiding her intimidating gaze. I blushed brightly as I replayed the scene in my head over and over again. I'm dead...I'm gonna die, I should not have done that.

"Ruka..why did you kiss me" she said emotionlessly but I saw an unfamiliar glint in her eyes. My blush deepened and I looked down at my feet as I fidgeted under her intense stare from those bright violet eyes. "Spit it out" she said impatiently causing me to sigh.

"W-well, you s-see Hotaru. Today...when w-we were on the r-roof, I had this really strange feeling towards you. You made me feel nervous yet at peace. You always make me blush, but I can actually talk to you unlike other girls. I get fidgety..but I feel like I belong when I'm with you. I didn't understand it...but now...I think I do.." I said and looked up at her and saw there was a brighter blush spreading on her shocked face.

"I...I...uh...I...you..I...um...I...l-love...you Hotaru" I stuttered as I blushed brightly. The next thing I didn't expect. I felt her kiss me gently on the cheek. I blushed brightly before looking at her, with an obvious dumbstruck expression on my face.

"The feel is mutual" she said, with her normal stoic expression back up. I smiled brightly before pulling her into a tight hug. I can't believe she didn't try to hit me or anything. I certainly did not expect her to me on the cheek.

_**BAKA. BAKA. BAKA.**_

"OUCH! Hotaru! What was that for?" I yelled and glared at her as she placed her Baka Gun back in her bag. She looked up at me with an angry glint in her eyes, then pointed behind me at the nurses by the hospital door who were trying to call me back.

"Your injured. You shouldn't have left the hospital for some as stupid as telling me you love me" she said blankly. I rolled my eyes and grinned at her before pulling her closer and placing covering her lips with mine once again.

"Oh my god!" we heard someone shout and pulled apart to see Mikan gawking at us with a complete dumbstruck expression on her face. Next to her Natsume had his eyebrow raised in amusement, but he gave me a small nod. I glanced at Hotaru and saw she looked completely relaxed, as if nothing happened...how does she do that? "Hotaru and Ruka-pyon? Since when!" she screamed and Natsume glared at her.

"Come on Baka, leave them alone" he said and dragged her away, even though she attempted to resist. I looked at Hotaru and smiled. Well at least I didn't feel replaced anymore. In fact...now I felt rather happy and encouraged. _Click_.

"HOTARU!"


End file.
